THE local MP, Dr Andrew Murrison, has written to the chief executive of the Environment Agency (EA) about complaints he has received from his Westbury constituents about the smell originating from Hills Waste’s Northacre Resource Recovery Centre.
In his letter, Dr Murrison says, “I am seeing a sharp uptake in complaints about the smell from Hills Waste’s Northacre operation in Westbury. I have been on site on a number of occasions recently and can validate my constituents’ experience.
“Last summer was bad, but Hills and the EA assured me and those I represent that the problem had been fixed. Plainly it had not.
“There is no way people should have to put up with this noxious stink for a second summer, significantly impacting on the ability of residents to enjoy their homes and gardens. Please will you say what enforcement action you will now take.”
Residents complained last summer that the smell coming from the Hills site was so bad that they were unable to sit outside and enjoy their gardens. The smell was found to be caused by a faulty biofilter in the Hills Northacre Resource Recovery Centre in August of last year, which was replaced, allowing Hills to resume operations. However, Westbury Town Council and local residents complained about the time it took for the biofilter to be replaced.
Further odour complaints were filed following the introduction of the new filter and the EA then said the matter would remain, “a high priority” and that they would continue “to work with the company to get the levels of odour back to how they were at the beginning of the year.” The EA has since said they have not received a high volume of complaints and that no further sanctions against the company is necessary.
Complaints to the EA remain “few and far between”
In a reply to Dr Murrison sent on 5th August, on behalf of the chief executive of the EA, area director Emma Baker said, “We have received a small number of complaints from members of the public in recent weeks, but these remain very few and far between compared to this time last summer.
“We have continued with our attendance in the area over the past month or so, and although our officers have noticed some residual odour at the site boundary, we have not substantiated odour in any of the residential areas. As I have explained previously, it is possible and expected that the facility does give rise to some odour from time to time.
“We are going to continue to undertake odour surveys over the summer and, if we substantiate significant odour at sensitive receptors, we will take appropriate action, which could include reducing or suspending waste inputs if we feel this is necessary. Therefore, it is important that members of the public report odours to us as quickly as possible so that our officers on the ground can try to substantiate the reports.
“Please encourage your constituents who contact you regarding this matter to report any odour to us via our incident hotline, 0800 807060, at the time they notice it.
The EA’s instant hotline can be contacted through email on enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk and on the phone at 0800 80 70 60 (select option 1). The process to make a report can take about ten minutes.
To make a report to the EA, residents must: 1. Note the name and address of where the smell is originating from; for example, Hills Waste Solutions. 2. The time and date you noticed the smell. 3. A description of the smell. 4. A rating of the smell on a scale of 1-6 (where 1 is barely noticeable and 6 would be intolerable). 5. The weather conditions when you smelt it. 6. How far away you live from the origin of the smell. 7. If the smell is detectable in your house with the windows and doors closed. 8. A general history of how long you believe the smell has been occurring. 9 Your contact address and phone number.
